MOGADISHU, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Five people were killed on Thursday in a military operation in southern Somalia, local officials have said.

South West state Information Minister Ugas Hasan Abdi said the military were pursuing the militant group al-Shabab in Ma'alinka village which lied between Afgoye and Barire towns in southern Somalia.

"The Somalia security forces conducted the attack, and the target was the terrorist group of al-Shabab. We are trying to establish more details on it," said Abdi.

Residents said there was a huge blast in the village followed by heavy fighting. "There was heavy blasts and then exchange of gunfire," a resident Mohamed Nur told Xinhua. "Several people were killed during the attack."

The authorities in Mogadishu have not issued an official comment on the latest attack.

At least 10 people were killed in Barire last year forcing the government to compensate the families after it admitted those killed were civilians. The U.S. government however maintained the dead were al-Shabab terrorists.